Accessible Service Scenarios

Scenario 1Pre-Trip Inspection

Every Division has a designated area for checking accessible equipment

Required Elements of Pre-trip Inspection

• Completely cycle the wheelchair lift or ramp

• Test the kneeling device for proper operation

Required Elements of Pre-trip Inspection (Cont.)

• Lift seats in the securement area

• Visually inspect and manually check all securement devices

• Test Passenger Stop Request device in the securement area

Defective Accessible Equipment

Indicate the problem on the Operator’s Vehicle Condition Report

Notify either the yard mechanic on duty or the Maintenance Department staff

In accordance with the Zero Tolerance Policy, a bus with defective accessible equipment will be repaired or replaced prior to leaving the yard.

Scenario 2

Transporting a Customer using a Common Wheelchair

Making Customer Stops• An Operator must stop at any

designated bus stop where a customer in a wheelchair is waiting to board.

• An Operator must not depart from any loading position when a customer using any mobility assistance device is waiting without contacting the customer to ask whether he/she wishes to board.

Safe Boarding and Alighting

• The Operator should select an area that is safe, level and free from obstructions for boarding or alighting a customer in a wheelchair.

• The customer using a wheelchair should be allowed to board first and alight last.

Priority Seating

The Operator must politely ask able-bodied passengers occupying seats in the priority seating area to vacate those seats in deference to a boarding customer with a disability.

Manual Operation of the Ramp

The ramp on a low-floor bus can be manually operated in the event of a mechanical failure. The Operator simply lifts up on the strap to deploy or stow the ramp.

Offer of Securement Assistance

An Operator must ask every mobility-impaired customer who uses a wheelchair if he/she needs help boarding or alighting, reaching the securement area or using the securement devices. (Rule 7.02)

Offer of Securement Assistance (Cont.)

• The required offer of assistance must include, at minimum, the words,

“DO YOU NEED HELP SECURING YOUR CHAIR?”

• The Operator must make the request in a clear voice, speaking directly to the boarding customer.

• The Operator must provide assistance if the customer requests it.

Proper Securement Requires:

• Securing the wheelchair by means of the rear wheel clamp, or a minimum of two tie-down straps and

Proper Securement Requires: (Cont.)

• Securing the customer by means of the lap or shoulder belt.

Notify BOC

• The Operator must report every wheelchair boarding to BOC, using the request mode (REQ or RTT) on the bus radio.

Assistance with Alighting

The Operator is required to assist with alighting if necessary. Assistance may include:

• Repositioning the bus for better access• Using the kneeling device, or • Physically assisting the customer

Scenario 3

Transporting a Customer with

an Electric Scooter

According to ADA law, three-wheeled scooters or other nontraditional mobility devices are defined as “common wheelchairs.”

Securing a Scooter

• Many scooters have small wheels that do not fit into wheel clamp devices. Securing a scooter may require the use of straps placed around the wheels or frame.

Securing a Scooter (Cont.)• Some buses have

auxiliary straps, located in a compartment near the front of the bus, which attach to mounting points on the floor.

Customer Refuses Securement

• A customer who refuses to be secured cannot be denied transportation. In such cases, the Operator should notify BOC that the customer is riding unsecured at the time the boarding is reported.

Scenario 4Wheelchair Pass-up

At times, an Operator may be unable to board a customer in a wheelchair because:

• Both securement locations are occupied

• Bus is extremely overcrowded

• Lift or ramp is defective

When Unable to Accommodate a Customer in a Wheelchair

• An Operator must stop and inform the customer of the reason for the pass-up.

• The Operator must advise the customer that BOC will arrange for alternative transportation.

• Before leaving the stop, the Operator must contact BOC using the priority mode (PRI or PRTT) on the bus radio.

When Unable to Accommodate a Customer in a Wheelchair (Cont.)

• If the radio is inoperative, the Operator must call BOC by telephone.

Contacting BOC by Phone

• If the headway is less than 15 minutes, the Operator should complete the trip and call from the end of the line.

• If the headway is greater than 15 minutes, the Operator should make the call from the nearest available telephone.

Scenario 5

Boarding Customers with Other Disabilities

• Besides customers who use wheelchairs, any individual who may have difficulty boarding may request to use the lift or ramp.

Blind and Visually Impaired Customers

To assist blind or visually impaired customers, the Operator should:

•Use the exterior speaker to announce the line number and destination at stops served by multiple bus lines

•Ask the boarding customer for his/her destination and announce the desired stop prior to arrival

Metro Flash Cards• A visually

impaired customer may use the Metro Flash card to assist him in identifying the bus he is waiting for.

Customers with Service Animals

• Some blind customers and customers with other physical disabilities are assisted by service animals.

• Service animals do not require special documentation, a collar, vest or other identification.

• A customer and service animal may use the lift together.

• The Operator should notify the customer boarding with a service animal if another animal is already on board.

Portable Oxygen • A customer who requires a respirator or

portable oxygen tank is allowed to bring them on board.